Sometimes a picture says it all...

NO to Syria...Hell NO!!!

Here Comes Obamacare "Sticker Shock"  

Kevin Glass/ Townhall Columnist

 

The Obamacare health insurance exchanges are still supposed to go live next month even though implementation delays have continued to pile up. Additionally, many analysts have predicted what has come to be known as "rate shock" - the realization of many who go to get insurance on the exchanges that they'll be paying a lot more now than they used to.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) - who is one of a few actual doctors in the Senate - put those predictions into words.

"Many families are going to have real sticker shock when they see their new insurance rates - even families who get government subsidies," Barrasso, an orthopedic surgeon, said.

Barrasso said there is "no question" that the U.S. healthcare system needs reform, but at a lower cost, not a higher one.

He cited a Kaiser Family Foundation study this week showing that the average family premium for people getting health insurance through their employers has risen by nearly $3,000 from when Obama took office in January 2009.

Interestingly, as the AP article notes, the Obama Administration used the same Kaiser study to tout that insurance may end up cheaper for many people.

Both Barrasso and the Obama Administration are right on that front. Listed prices for insurance premiums will be higher, but the out-of-pocket cost for those premiums will be lower for many Americans due to government subsidies doled out to pay for insurance. Progressives have used the government subsidies side of the equation to say that the whole enterprise will be worth it, but it's still incredibly important that the total cost of premiums are set to rise all over the country.

The Manhattan Institute put out a price calculator this week to demonstrate to Americans how the cost of insurance is set to rise in many states:

Global Warming Tour Cut Off By--Wait for It-- Too Much Ice!  

Michael Schaus / Townhall Columnist

In an effort to highlight the impacts of global warming, four fun loving environmentalists decided to row the Northwest Passage in Canada, which used to be cut off by ice accumulation.

Unfortunately, their trek was cut short by seasonally cold temperatures and – you guessed it – ice.

“After learning that ice choked much of the route ahead, the group decided to end their trip at Cambridge Bay, about halfway to Pond Inlet,” reported CBC.

Apparently there is just not enough global warming happening right now. (Maybe the group should have driven around town in a Hummer a few times before attempting their publicity stunt.)

According to a report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, there has been a 60 percent increase in the amount of ocean covered with ice compared to this time last year. The finding indicates that there is clearly a shortage of global warming in this down economy. To put the figure into context, that’s roughly a million square miles of new ice in one year. In fact, the ice has even forced ships to reroute cargo as the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific has remained blocked by pack-ice all year long.

World scientists meeting at the IPCC, seem confounded by the fact that the world is set to see a 15 year downtrend in world temperatures. Some are calling this a “pause” of the anthropogenic global warming trend we’ve seen for the last decade. Other experts are saying temps could fall as low as they did in the 1960’s and 1970’s – when other experts were warning that the world was headed toward an Ice Age. The change in climate trends seems to be making the IPCC’s ability to sell global warming initiatives a bit more difficult.

Despite the fact that light trucks such as the F-150 and Toyota Tacoma continue to lead automotive sales, our climb on the global temperature gauge seems to be slowing. In the last 100 years we, as mankind, have only managed to increase the world temperature by .8 degrees Celsius. Try as we might, the Amazon rainforest is still around, and we have yet to see California erode into the Pacific Ocean. C’mon people. . . This is America. We can do better. I suggest we launch a full fledged campaign to help push California into the Pacific.

Of course, part of the problem could be that the idea of anthropogenic global warming is a flawed concept. My apologies to Al Gore for writing such sacrilege; but excuse me for not having a terrible amount of faith in a scientific community that has been astoundingly wrong over the past 50 years.

Aside from the fact that alarmists such as Gore have yet to make a correct prediction on global climate trends, they have also numbed me to their cause through their propagandistic use of cute fuzzy animals like the Arctic’s dominant killing machine: The polar bear.

Nothing epitomizes the environmentalist cause like the picture of the polar bear stranded on a melting iceberg. However, the phrase “It’s to save the polar bears!” loses a little luster when you read that Polar Bears can swim up to 200 miles. . . If a polar bear gets stranded on a piece of ice (that floats around 1mph) further than 200 miles from land – well – that’s not climate change. That’s Darwinism.

The bad news is that despite the obvious confusion among the scientific community regarding the cause and effect of climate change, political believers of anthropogenic global warming will not relent their war on industrialization and affluence. The good news, however, is that despite the propaganda, egotism, and outright lies (AHEM* East Anglia*AHEM) among political believers in global warming, much of America seems to be growing skeptical. After all, what is Al Gore going to say: Global Warming is leading to more sea ice?

Another piece of good news: Because of this year’s record amount of arctic ice, those fuzzy little polar bears will have plenty more solid ice upon which they can slaughter baby seals. That should warm the hearts of those four Canadian environmentalists.

Hey Media, Liberals and Democrats: You Built That

John Ransom/ Townhall Finance Editor

Obama wants you to know that he didn’t build that “red line” in Syria.

You built it.

The roads and bridges and firefighters and the soldiers, sailors and airmen that you pay with your taxes, they built that red line.

The seas that have risen unabated thanks to global warming, the despair caused by the War on Women in the Arab world- you know the one where the Catholic Church in the United States objects to paying for abortions and birth control?- these are things the world community contributed to building that red line in Syria.

Thus, the world, helped build that red line too.

It’s their red line. And your red line.

But Obama did not build that line.

He didn’t build it. Nor does he own it. He didn’t build the economy or the healthcare system or the rescue of Detroit either.

Not. Obama.

In fact, he told me he was playing cards during all that stuff.

Secretary of State John Kerry wants you to know that while the invasion of Iraq didn’t pass his or the world community’s “global smell test,” that the Syria thing is an entirely different matter, even if the world disagrees with him.

When pressed for details on how the Syrian intervention passes the “global smell test,” the White House offered up the latest technology: the “common sense test.”

From the Associated Press:

The White House asserted Sunday that a "common-sense test" dictates the Syrian government is responsible for a chemical weapons attack that President Barack Obama says demands a U.S. military response. But Obama's top aide says the administration lacks "irrefutable, beyond-a-reasonable-doubt evidence" that skeptical Americans, including lawmakers who will start voting on military action this week, are seeking.

"This is not a court of law. And intelligence does not work that way," White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said, part of a five-network public relations blitz Sunday to build support for limited strikes against Syrian President Bashar Assad.

"The common-sense test says he is responsible for this. He should be held to account," McDonough said of the Syrian leader who for two years has resisted calls from inside and outside his country to step down.  

White House Chief of Staff McDonough knows A LOT about how intelligence works too, if not common sense…or, you know, the actual science of sarin gas detection.

McDonough handled strategic communications and chief of staff duties for the National Security Council during the lock-down, no leak, worldwide Obama-killed-Osama-with-His-Bare-Hands tour that later was made into several TV movies.

You remember them? The films made after the White House turned over all the classified documents on the bin Laden killing to those top-secret keepers in Hollywood who write stories for a living?

McDonough apparently handled the ultra scientific part of intelligence for the National Security Council where stuff was “fabricated,”... to use the intell lingo that he’s familiar with.

Because while the data from Syria that government forces under Assad used sarin gas on civilians may pass the White House’s “common sense test,” we all know that that bar is pretty low.

Two words: Joe Biden.

Someone may have used sarin gas in Syria, but it's just as likely Obama's rebel allies did it as the Assad regime did. 

As our contributor from NightWatch has pointed out, the White House common sense test would go down better with cookies and warm milk than it would as intelligence (also known as G2):

“With this Russian document,” writes NightWatch, “there are four national reports about the use of gas in Syria; one each from the US, France, the UK and Russia. The three Western reports provide circumstantial evidence at best. They are not intelligence appraisals because they fail to address contradictory and contrarian evidence that is at least as strong as that which they present in support of their case. They are advocacy, not intelligence.”

NightWatch is not alone in their criticism of the White House G2.

Differences regarding intelligence on the composition, strength and leadership of the rebels also plagues the executive branch.

“US Secretary of State John Kerry's public assertions that moderate Syrian opposition groups are growing in influence appear to be at odds with estimates by US and European intelligence sources and nongovernmental experts,” writes the Jerusalem Post, “who say Islamic extremists remain by far the fiercest and best-organized rebel elements."

Perhaps that’s the reason why the White House wants to shut down debate on Syrian intelligence, just as they have on every issue of importance from global warming to alternative energy to job creation to Obamacare.

(Hint: The White House has been very, very-- even historically-- wrong on some of these issues of “settled” science that they no longer want to debate.)

“White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said ‘nobody now debates’ U.S. intelligence showing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is responsible for a deadly chemical attack near Damascus last month,” reported Bloomberg.com.

Uh, no one in the White House debates it. The rest of us still have our doubts

“He is responsible for this and should be held accountable,” McDonough said several times while tapping his ruby slippers together.

So now all we can do is wait for Al Gore to make a cameo appearance with his Nobel Prize and a new movie, WMD’s II: The Inconvenient Spoof.

“Bush did some things every president should do in embarking on any major military venture,” explains the Chicago Tribune. “He stated a clear mission (removing Saddam), explained his reasons to the American people over and over, and took concrete measures to achieve his objective. Those are areas where Barack Obama might have learned from Bush. If he had, the task of confronting Syria's Bashar Assad would be a lot easier.”

Using Bush's communication strategy regarding the war in Iraq as a communication template for the Obama administration just tells you how far gone this administration is on Syria.

Out of touch? Ha! Out of excuses is more like it.

Obama should listen to his hometown paper's indictment of John Kerry's would-be "war of choice" in Syria. It won't just be a bumper sticker. Real people will die.

Because if Obama wanted to make the case that there was a “right” way to go to war, a "right" way to build a consensus or a "right" way to build coalition, there is one thing he proved for sure:  He didn’t build any of it.

But here’s a finger wag to the Tribunes of the world, the ones that endorsed Obama-for-president twice, and the liberals and the peaceniks and Occupiers and racist deniers who thought Obama brought us peace in our time.

Psalm 55:21... ahem:

The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart.

YOU built that part.

And now you know how the rest of us feel.

You can un-build this any time now.

Obama reduces 2014 pay hike for U.S. troops as he prepares to send them to fight for al-Qaeda

Join the Army: fight for your nation's enemies at reduced pay.

From Jihad Watch / Posted by Robert Spencer

"Obama Reduces 2014 Pay Hike for U.S. Troops, Still Fighting in Afghanistan," by Susan Jones for CNS News, September 3:

(CNSNews.com) - As promised in his Fiscal Year 2014 budget, President Obama has just informed Congress that he will cap next year's pay raise for U.S. military personnel at 1 percent, instead of the 1.8 percent raise set by the formula Congress established. 

The announcement came on Friday afternoon, at the start of the long Labor Day weekend, in a letter to Congress.

"I am strongly committed to supporting our uniformed service members, who have made such great contributions to our Nation over the past decade of war," President Obama wrote to congressional leaders. "As our country continues to recover from serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare, however, we must maintain efforts to keep our Nation on a sustainable fiscal course. This effort requires tough choices, especially in light of budget constraints faced by Federal agencies."

Obama said he has decided to "exercise my authority under section 1009(e) of title 37, United States Code, to set the 2014 monthly basic pay increase at 1.0 percent" for members of the military.

"This decision is consistent with my fiscal year 2014 Budget and will not materially affect the Federal Government's ability to attract and retain well-qualified members for the uniformed services," Obama wrote....

Why not? Because he said so.

Op-ed:
Selling war based on lies
By: Diane Sori

What if and why can’t…Barack HUSSEIN Obama wants to take America to war over what ifs and why can’ts…and the media is helping him with his sales pitch.

What if al-Assad uses chemical weapons again…what if more children die..what if…blah, blah, blah….Why can’t the American people understand that by militarily calling al-Assad to task for the recent gas attacks on civilians that it will keep us all safe at home…blah, blah, blah…Why can’t everyone see that we need to help the al-Qaeda backed rebels so I can say ‘screw you’ to Putin…and there’s NO blah, blah, blah about that one.

And as much as Obama stamps his feet and whines about why we need to go to war with Syria...a country that has NEVER attacked us and poses NO threat to our national security, why can’t he see that there is NO reason for us to attack them…NO reason at all for doing so will only benefit al-Qaeda...the very same al-Qaeda that changed America forever just 12 short years ago…the very same al-Qaeda that we still are in the ‘War on Terror’ against.

And whether Obama wants to admit it or NOT we are indeed still deeply involved in the ‘War on Terror’…terror created and executed by those he now wants America to support.

Treason thy name is Barack HUSSEIN Obama.

The simple fact is that ‘We the People’ do NOT want to aid and abet our enemies nor do we want to go to war yet again…so as Sarah Palin said, ‘Let allah sort it out’.

War with Syria…and lobbing Cruise missiles into another country’s sovereign territory is indeed war…is NOT in America’s best interest yet Obama calculatingly went to Congress to get approval to wage war…or did he. It’s more likely Obama went to Congress to line up his scapegoat for when the situation in Syria goes completely south.

And remember, Obama’s made it clear that he feels that he has the right to either ignore public opinion or twist and manipulate the facts when he deems it necessary to do so..and that includes giving 'supposed’ credibility to a decision of his own doing to reign missiles down on Syria.

And rest assured Obama has an ally in this manipulation…an ally known as the main stream media who swoons every time this miserable excuse of a president opens his mouth. The very same media who ‘anointed’ Barack HUSSEIN Obama our Messiah…our savior…the media who now NOT only twists the facts of who is and who is NOT gassing civilians, but is helping Obama perpetrate the LIE that it was al-Assad doing so when there is absolutely NO definitive proof whatsoever to that effect.

And Putin himself, every chance he gets, has made it clear to the media that the Obama administration has NOT produced one bit of evidence…only made claims that it was Assad who gassed civilians.  As he said, “If the USA does not produce the evidence for us to see, then clearly it does NOT exist”.

And how right he is.

And with the Obama administration basing their claim against al-Assad on sketchy reports from ‘supposed’ witnesses (gee I wonder how they escaped the death that awaited those who they witnessed dying), non-governmental sources, and hours of questionable YouTube videos (shades of Benghazi come back to haunt), you just know Obama’s siding with the rebels is NOT what it outwardly seems on the surface, and the media knows the truth.

And that truth is we need to follow the money…follow it all the way back to Saudi Arabia…the same Saudi Arabia that financed 9/11…the same Saudi Arabia whose king Obama bowed down to.

War with Syria will most assuredly NOT be good for the United States, Israel, or for Syria itself. But there are two countries that it would be good for…one is Saudi Arabia and the other is Qatar. The Saudis have been pouring billions of dollars into Syria…bankrolling the rebel factions and using Jordan to smuggle their weapons through…yet al-Assad remains in power. So the Saudis continue to push Obama to use the US military to do what they so far have NOT been able to do…and do it without getting their hands dirty. And then if the Saudis do oust al-Assad via our military they will have succeeded in getting the two enemies of Sunni islam to fight against each other (the Saudis are Sunnis)…the US and Israel on one side and all of Shia islam on the other...and the more damage both sides do to each other the happier the Saudi Wahhabi Sunnis will be.

Qatar benefits because it’s been long known that they want to run a natural gas pipeline out of the Persian Gulf, through Syria (something al-Assad is opposed to) and into Europe, and so they too have been pouring billions of dollars into the civil war in Syria…again on the side of the rebels.

So if it’s really Saudi Arabia and Qatar that want to overthrow the Assad regime…and with 70% of Syrians quite content with life under Assad…why does the United States have to do the Saudis fighting…why…because Barack HUSSEIN Obama’s loyalties are to the Saudi royal family and to Wahhabi islam, and NOT to America is why.

The bottom line is that the Saudis are the ones pulling Obama’s strings…are the ones who helped finance his campaign coffers…and are the ones funding the spread of radical islam throughout NOT only the Middle East but here in America as well. Just know that most of the mosques built here are NOT being financed with money from ‘so-called’ moderate muslims, but are being funded via the vast Saudi money coffers, and the media knows this very well, yet keeps this hidden for the simple fact that they were the ones who ‘created’ Obama…who got him elected in the first place…and to desert him now with reporting the truth would probably lock down and silence the media completely.

And so in just a day from now Barack HUSSEIN Obama will play the media like a fiddle and appear on all major television and radio stations begging and pleading for Congress and ‘We the People’ to support him in sending America to war. But just know that his reasons are NOT for the humanitarian issues he will claim, but are for Saudi Arabia to be able to push Wahhabi Sunnism throughout the Middle East (everything in the Middle East comes back to religion), and he is willing to do the Saudis bidding for them…for Barack HUSSEIN Obama is a Wahhabi Sunni…always has been and always will be..and the muslim blood coursing through his veins is stronger than any American blood that might possibly be shed.

And that's why the order to 'stand down' was given in Benghazi...better four Americans be slaughtered than having to shed one drop of muslim blood in rescuing them...for with Barack HUSSEIN Obama and all those who orbit around him it all comes back to Benghazi in one way or another.